What's Required From time to time, disputes may arise between the parent(s) and the school district relating to the identification, evaluation, or educational placement or the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE), for a student with a disability. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) encourages and supports the resolution of any dispute at the lowest level possible and in a prompt, efficient, and effective manner. The possible options for resolving disputes include, but are not limited to:
meetings of the student's admission, review, and dismissal committee;
meetings or conferences with the student's teachers;
meetings or conferences, subject to local school district policies, with campus administrator(s), the special education director of the district (or the shared services arrangement to which the district may be a party), the superintendent of the district, or the board of trustees of the district;
requesting a due process hearing through theTEA in accordance with IDEA and 34 CFR 300.507.
upon the filing of a request for a due process hearing, the parent(s) and the school district shall also be provided with an opportunity to resolve the dispute through the mediation process established by 34 CFR 300.510(a)
What We Do
Local resolution is a voluntary process that should be the first option, giving parents and the district the chance to resolve any concerns.
As a first step, the parent(s) should contact their child’s school and speak to the principal or special education chairperson regarding a concern.
If contacting the campus personnel is not providing a solution to the problem, the parent(s) should contact the special education personnel at the elementary and secondary field offices and ask for the Special Education Program Specialist assigned to their child’s campus for assistance. Program Specialist may be reached at (713) 434-4700
If the Program Specialist is not able to assist with a solution, the parent(s) should contact the Special Education Senior Manager at the respective field office or the Parent Liaison in the Office of Special Education Services at (713) 556-7025.
If all efforts to reach a solution with the district are unsuccessful, the parent(s) or other interested party can file a complaint with the Texas Education Agency.
The parent(s) may also file a due process with TEA to resolve the issue(s) before a special education hearing officer
If the parties resolve any issues, the parents should contact TEA either verbally or in writing to request that the complaint/due process be withdrawn or that certain issues be dismissed.
If there are any remaining issues that were not resolved, TEA will evaluate whether it must investigate those issues.
Texas Project FIRST (Families Information Resources Support and Training) is a project of the Texas Education Agency and is committed to providing accurate and consistent information to parents & families of students with disabilities.
The Partners Resource Network (PRN)is a non-profit agency that operates the statewide network of federally funded Parent Training and Information Centers (PTI's) in Texas. The mission of PRN is to empower parents of children and youth with disabilities in their roles as parents, decision makers, and advocates for their children and to promote partnerships among parents and professionals.
TEA Toll Free Parent Information Line: 1-800-252-9668. This toll free message line is reserved for parents and other family members who have questions about student rights and regulatory requirements as they relate to special education complaint investigations, mediations, and due process hearings. Calls are returned by trained professionals during normal business hours. For Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: TTY Number: (512) 475-3540 Relay Texas 7-1-1. Division of Federal and State Education Policy 1701 North Congress Avenue | Austin, Texas 78701-1494 Telephone: (512) 463-9414 | Fax: (512) 463-9560 E-mail: sped@tea.state.tx.us
The Parent'sGuide to the ARD Process booklet (Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese) is produced to implement Texas Education Code (TEC) Section 26.0081 requiring the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to create a comprehensive, easily understood document which explains the individualized education program (IEP) process for a student in a special education program. Additionally, the ARDGuide incorporates a parent’s rights and responsibilities concerning the ARD/IEP process. The ARD/IEP Guide is intended to be a companion document to, not a replacement for, the Procedural Safeguards, which identifies parents’ rights and responsibilities in federal law. The purpose of the ARD/IEP Guide is to encourage a common understanding for parents, school personnel, and communities of the IEP process for a student with disabilities.
What's Required
From time to time, disputes may arise between the parent(s) and the school district relating to the identification, evaluation, or educational placement or the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE), for a student with a disability. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) encourages and supports the resolution of any dispute at the lowest level possible and in a prompt, efficient, and effective manner. The possible options for resolving disputes include, but are not limited to:
What We Do
Local resolution is a voluntary process that should be the first option, giving parents and the district the chance to resolve any concerns.
The parent(s) may also file a due process with TEA to resolve the issue(s) before a special education hearing officer
If the concern relates to Section 504 please refer to Section 504 Due Process.Process
Forms
Resources